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Good for snorkelling - Poor for Scuba Diving

As a keen scuba diver I had seen this set in the dive shop I visit in London. As I wanted a set for snorkelling avoiding carrying the more expensive gear on flights I decided to try it out. It is definitley not suited to scubadiving as the mask isn't rated to go to the depths you might go to, however for a cheap snorkelling set it is ideal.

Content:The kit contains all the essentials for snorkellingPalau fins, Onda maskGamma snorkel all put together in a nice Cressi branded bag

Range of sizes

The set is available in a range of sizes which means you can get fins that will not need silly adjustments or

Price

This is definitely to be considered in the budget range of dive/snorkel gear. You could eaily pay more than this for a semi-decent mask on its own. It's in the shops for around £40 which is very cheap. Although you can pick up a basic snorkel package cheaper, this is getting towards dive quality and cressi are a well respected brand.

The Mask

The mask is a single lens type (as opposed to two eyehole type). The manufacturer says it is for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. Personally I don;t think it is suitable for scuba diving as the higher pressure will easily cause leaks.The face seal is hypoallergenic transparent silicone. The problem with this is that the clear silicone will discolour when used in seawater so I would normally opt for something coloured rather than something that turns yellow.The shape of the mask does allow good visibility for a large view angle forwards, although side view is a bit restrictive.

The Snorkel

A snorkel is a snorkel really. It is a tube that means you can breath with your face underwater. Manufactures claim big differences and for some of the top end scuba suited snorkels you can pay over £100. Obviously that's a waste of money for snorkelling and one of this quality does the job easily. The mouthpiece is fairly comfortable and doesn't seem to discolour as quickly as some other brands. Annoyingly no clip is provided to attach the snorkel to the mask. This means you have to tuck it under the mask strap which ruins the mask seal with your face. It is worth spending an extra few pounds on a clip.

The fins (or Flippers)

The buckle style provided is usually used with neoprene boots which aren't provided. The problem without neoprene boots (or booties) is that the strap can rub or cutt into your ankle very easily. If using boots these fins are excellent and could easily be used for scuba if you can get a good fit. I don;t think many people would bother with boots for snorkelling or swimming making them a poor choice for this set.

Extras

The pack comes with a carry/storage bag which is a great addition. It's not the most waterpoof thing in the world, but great for lugging kit around.

Build Quality

Cressi are a well known manufacturer in the dive/scuba equipment product place. They make good quality equipment but you really do pay for the extra quality. In this case this is the budget range so it does feel a bit cheap and I don't think it would be long lasting. I have only used it on a couple of beach holidays and haven;t had any problems, but am getting some discolouring on the mask seal.